The present invention relates to an elastic band for tying chickens and like animals to be cooked.
Use of loop-shaped elastic bands for tying chickens and other birds to be cooked, in particular to be roasted, is known in the art.
According to the prior art, shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, loop-shaped elastic bands 3 are made by one or more elastic wires 1 covered by a spiral-wound wire 5 of cotton or other synthetic fibres.
That loop-shaped elastic band is in general obtained by tying both ends of a piece of said elastic wire, so as to obtain the loop shape 7.
In such manner, elastic loops of different sizes can be made, suitable for tying birds of different sizes, such as chickens, turkeys and so on.
The known elastic loops are used to hold the bird legs and the wings together.
FIG. 1b shows a chicken tied with a conventional loop-shaped elastic band 3.
That kind of elastic bands is used by first making legs 33 of chicken 31 enter loop 7; subsequently, after having turned the loop by 180°, chicken neck 35 is introduced into the loop.
Thus, as clearly shown in FIG. 1b, chicken legs 33 are held together by a first portion 8 of the elastic loop, whereas the remaining portion 9 passes around chicken neck 35.
The above description clearly shows that using a conventional elastic band 3 for tying chickens and similar animals entails a twisting movement of the operator's forearm and wrist to form the second loop portion 9, which is to pass around the neck and to push wings 37 against the animal's body.
Such a movement is repeated many and many times, about ten times per minute, in wrapping operations at industrial level.
On the long term, such a frequent repetition of the twisting movement of the forearm and wrist may cause soreness and pain, so that the operator is compelled to stop working.